My Journey from Fatman to 140.6 Triathlete

Princess goes to the beauty parlor

Realizing I would be off my bike for months due to hip surgery, I finally decided to reward Princess Tricycle (my triathlon bike) with a beauty parlor. After all, I was getting a tune-up so after 2×140.6 races, about 20 flights, dozens of shorter races and literally thousands (or tens of thousands?) of miles… She was looking a bike rough. Kind of like my hip actually 🙂

I was pretty sure she had some minor carbon damage by the chain and possibly the seat post clamp area. I was certain there were a couple dozen chips out of the paint in various places from the bike rack, from rocks on the road, from rubbing against other bikes during long car rides, and go on. Not to mention years-old-gel residue, grim, and worm guts. Yeah, I am not a good bike daddy so time to make good.

After checking with my friends at Main Street Bikes they referred me to Dr Carbon in Wisconsin. I dropped her off at Main Street, the stripped her down and sent her to the “Doctor” for some love. He would repair and carbon damage, strip the old paint and apply new – along with a majorly needed protective coat – one thing that Guru never could seem to get right. I love everything about Princess except her paint. This is my second Guru and they were all the same – the paint chipped pretty easily.

I agonized about what color, style, etc. and decided that any drastic change would make Princess well… Not Princess! So I went with the original scheme. I did make a second small improvement…. She now has a Pearlescent undercoat in there. It is supposed to look classy, I hope the other bikes don’t think she is a tramp now!

6 weeks later I got word she was done! She will be shipped back to Main street where they will put her back together, perhaps with a few enhanced components. I cannot wait! Until then, here are the pictures. This is the cleanest she will probably ever be! I’m still a bad bike daddy, sorry!